The Triora Group

A Critical Patch Update is a collection of patches for multiple security vulnerabilities. It also includes non-security fixes that are required (because of inter-dependencies) by those security patches. Critical Patch Updates are cumulative (with some exceptions) but each advisory describes only the security fixes added since the previous Critical Patch Update.

The Critical Patch Update for October 2008 was released yesterday (October 14, 2008).  This Critical Patch Update contains 36 new security fixes across all products.  As always, Oracle strongly recommends applying the patches as soon as possible.

Here are some highlights:

• This CPU is the Terminal Critical Patch Update for Oracle Application Server 9.0.4.3, Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control 10.2.0.3, Oracle Application Server 10.1.2.2, Oracle Database 10.2.0.3, Oracle Application Server 10.1.3.3, and, Database 11.1.0.6.
• It contains 15 new security fixes for the Database Suite.  1 of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication.
• It contains 6 new security fixes for the Application Server Suite.  2 of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication.  3 of these fixes are applicable to client-only installations, i.e. installations that do not have Oracle Application Server installed.
• It contains 4 new security fixes for the Applications Suite.  2 of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication.

The Critical Patch Update Advisory is the starting point for relevant information. It includes the list of products affected, pointers to obtain the patches, a summary of the security vulnerabilities for each product suite, and links to other important documents. Supported products that are not listed in the “Supported Products and Components Affected” section of the advisory do not require new patches to be applied.

Also, it is essential to review the Critical Patch Update supporting documentation referenced in the Advisory before applying patches, as this is where you can find important pertinent information.

You can read more about this CPU at: http://www.oracle.com/technology/deploy/security/alerts.htm

The next four Critical Patch Update release dates will be:

• January 13, 2009
• April 14, 2009
• July 14, 2009
• Oct 13, 2009

Happy Patching!

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One of our E-business Suite clients asked for information about webADI. The following are the main MetaLink documents to review with any webADI install. The “Web ADI Tips for Troubleshooting” is particularly important. Patch levels and version are critical for some functionality and fixes:

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This month I am stealing a blog concept from a fellow blogger named Floyd Teter. A short time ago Floyd, an Oracle ACE Director and substantial blogger, blogged about mistakes made and lessons learned. I generally enjoy reading about the mistakes others make since those mistakes are good reminders that we need to be dilligent with our work as well as having a good sense of humor about it much of the time. With this in mind, I am going to share a recent mistake I made, since it drove my pucker factor into outer space.

My story begins after having completed several upgrades to an E-Business Suite environment on the way to a production upgrade that is a few weeks out. Now, I love to automate things, since I’m not a good typist. So, while completing a series of changes that needed to be input into the latest instance to bring it current with the initial testing instance, I took a few scripts that I had previously automated and thatched them together in an effort to reduce the number of manual steps I needed, as well as to improve performance. I pride myself on being very meticulous, but in this case I was a little over zealous.  

The problem… 

A script I used to automate the start and stops of the complete applications technology stack and database was inserted into this “master” script that I was using for efficiency reasons. So, the script was executed, and while the system was on its way up I noticed an error at the database mount stage. Now for those of you that are newer DBAs, a database comes up in 3 distinct stages (described below very simplistically): 

NOMOUNT => this stage reads the init.ora file, allocates the shared memory structures and creates background processes 

MOUNT => this stage reads the control file(s) for the names of its datafiles and redo logs

OPEN => this stage opens the online database datafiles and redo logs and checks them for consistency with the control files.  

The Oracle Database Server will raise an error if any of the database files are out of sync with the control file, or vice versa, at which point the DBA will need to determine the cause and/or solution to the problem. So, with the preceeding explanation in mind, I was starting the database when I saw an error roll up on the screen during the mount stage. The error: 

ERROR at line 1:

ORA-00201: control file version 10.2.0.0.0 incompatible with ORACLE version 9.2.0.0.0

ORA-00202: control file: ‘/u02/oradata/appststdata/cntrl01.dbf’ 

The error puzzled me since I had definitely completed the cutover from the 9i database to the 10g database weeks ago. In fact, I had already started and stopped the system several times in the intervening weeks. So I issued the shutdown immediate command so I could check the alert log. Hmmm, I didn’t find any entries in the alert log. Not one in the last few days? What was going on? Again, for those of you new DBAs, the alert log registers most Oracle database errors, which is why we want to look there first. And the fact that there were no entries in the last few days was concerning because the alert log records database start and stop information, which we have just done a few times. So I decided to start the database up again to see what would happen. 

sqlplus /nolog

conn / as sysdba

startup mount

Again, I got the same error. What is the deal??? Then, in a flash of brilliance I remembered the script I used to start the system. Yep, the script had the 9.2.0 path code for the startup. Cool, now we were good since I knew what the problem was. At this point, I assumed that I had corrupted the control file in some way, so I decided to recreate it. Here is what I saw:

SQL> @noresetlog_appstst_ctrl_file.sql

ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 612368384 bytes

Fixed Size 2071072 bytes

Variable Size 427820512 bytes

Database Buffers 167772160 bytes

Redo Buffers 14704640 bytes

CREATE CONTROLFILE REUSE DATABASE “APPSTST” NORESETLOGS NOARCHIVELOG

*

ERROR at line 1:

ORA-01503: CREATE CONTROLFILE failed

ORA-01130: database file version 10.2.0.0.0 incompatible with ORACLE version

9.2.0.0.0

ORA-01110: data file 1: ‘/u02/oradata/appststdata/system01.dbf’

Oh #%*&!!! Now, if you have never had one of these moments, imagine jumping into the Arctic Ocean in just your birthday suit! Yep, that bad. What now?

My personal preference is to start the Service Request (SR) with Oracle Support so that I have 2 working paths and can hopefully get the issue resolved faster. So after logging the SR, I headed back to troubleshooting. I could rule out an application issue for obvious reasons, so I needed to go through my database troubleshooting steps:

• Log completely out for fresh start => successful
• Log in with db user => successful
• echo $ORACLE_HOME => correct home is displayed
• check init.ora file for 9.2.0 references => no references
• Alert log? => not helpful
• opatch lsinventory => Hmmmm… interesting error

Finally, an error to check out. I did not post the specific error here for the sake of brevity. But, rest assured it was interesting. The specific “aha” for this error showed that the current database was not listed in the oraInventory. Well, I know that this was not correct, because I had specifically rebuilt the inventories due to an oraclehomeproperties.xml file error when I laid down the 10g database initially. So, the next step was to look at the orainst.loc file to see where it was directing oraInventory transactions. Yep, it was pointed to the old location from before the rebuild. This is an easy fix. Yes, repointing that file fixed the opatch lsinventory error I received previously. And, yes, I could then confirm that the database was upgraded successfully because the component versions all match.

Having successfully connected and retrieved inventory information gave me confidence to try starting the database again. Dog gone it… Another error. But this one stated that the “compatible” version was set incorrectly. Hmmm, how is that possible since I already checked the init.ora file in previous steps? Ohhhhhhhhhh, wait a minute. When you do an upgrade from 9i to 10g the dbua will convert your database to use an spfile rather than the init.ora pfile. As a quick side bar; the spfile is short for server parameter file and houses the initialization parameters inside the database, whereas a pfile is a file system file that contains the initialization parameters. While both of these files fulfill the same function, they do so in very different fashions.

NOTE*** I’d be happy to cover more intracacies of these two files in a future blog if anyone is interested ***

Although the spfile is binary in nature there is a “readable” file located in the $ORACLE_HOME/dbs directory. A quick check of that file showed:

*.compatible=’9.2.0′

Eureka!!!! This means that I was in the ballpark. But, there is some trickery involved with an 11i applications database versus a regular database. The question becomes, “how do you start your 11i database?” I used to just log into the database and issue the startup command. Which, coincidentally enough, is how my scripts started the database as well. Now, the trickery for those of you Applications DBAs out there, is in how you start your databases. Autoconfig-enabled databases have an appsutil directory pushed from the Apps Tier to the Database Tier that contains Autoconfig-related files and scripts. Now, in this pathing there is a directory of scripts that start and stop your 11i applications database. The full directory for most installations would be:

$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/scripts/<SID>_<HOST>

This directory contains three scripts related to the starting and stopping of the database:

addbctl.sh => this is the master script generated by Autoconfig for starting and stopping the 11i database. It takes input passed from the command line and then executes one of two additional sql script listed below

adstrtdb.sql => this Autoconfig-generated sql script is called from the “master” script and starts the 11i database

adstopdb.sql => this Autoconfig-generated sql script is called from the “master” script and stops the 11i database

So, where is the trickery? Well, the start script (adstrtdb.sql) starts the database using a pfile as opposed to a spfile!

Aha!!!! The specific syntax is: ### where the $ORACLE_HOME is the full path not variable ###

startup pfile=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/init.ora

Allright, then executing the following command should fix my issue:

addbctl.sh start

Crossing my fingers…. I saw memory allocation and background processes… It mounted… It opened! Whew!!! Crisis averted!

And there it is, my most recent embarassing moment, where not paying attention nearly cost me! In the end, we all make mistakes, but hopefully we don’t make the same ones twice. Now that you know my mistake, and what I worked through to fix it, maybe you can avoid the same one. And, if you can’t avoid it I’ll settle for you being able to fix it afterwards with a lot less lost time than I did. That being said, anyone else in blog land have an interesting mistake to share?

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Today, Larry Ellison announced two new hardware products.  No this is not a joke.  Oracle and HP have teamed up to produce the new Exadata Programmable Storage Center (EPSC) and the new Oracle Database Machine (ODBM).  After 3 years of development and a year of testing with large customers, these new products are available immediately.  HP will provide hardware support and build the systems.

The EPSC is a smart storage device consisting of 2 Intel Quad Core processors, up to 12TB of disk storage and a bundling of the Oracle Database with Oracle Enterprise Linux.  The EPSC can be configured with multiples of the modules.  For transmitting data, each module comes with two Infiniband connectors.

Each new module adds not just more disk storage but more processors, memory, database software and bandwidth.

The Oracle Database Machine combines multiple EPSC’s into a grid machine that supports up to 8 database servers and 14 Exadata Storage Services.  It comes with RAC, Oracle Enterprise Linux, and can grow (today) up to 168TB of storage.  Driven by up to 64 Intel Cores, the Oracle Database Machine provides a massively parallel architecture at a much lower price point and near-linear performance as new storage is added.

List prices indicate that the pricing per Terabyte of Storage is very similiar (for the hardware) to that of most Storage Area Networks, about $4K per Terabyte.  That doesn’t include database licenses so that is an unknown.

Oracle noted that this system dramatically outperforms the performance by other major competitors including EMC, and Teradata using traditional servers and Storage Area Network (SAN) technologies.  It is designed to support both Data Warehouse and OLTP processing.

Incidentally, if you’re entering Triora Group’s “Oracle Open World Get Me Some Bling!” contest, I’ve highlighted the answer to today’s question. Just click on the answer, and you’ll be taken to the questionnaire.

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Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Oracle ACE dinner. Maybe I should clarify that by saying I showed up, grabbed a seat, and managed to avoid getting tossed out. As you might have guessed, I’m not an Oracle ACE but that didn’t stop me from rubbing shoulders with them for several hours. (It seemed to help that I had a BLOGGER pass to Open World…)

For their efforts they got a nice dinner and a free jacket with the Oracle ACE logo on it. But more importantly they got to meet and interact with each other.

There were probably 100 people there. Down at my end of the table I was seated with individuals from Kuwait, Oregon, Netherlands, and Austin. That was a clear indication of the global nature of the Oracle products and their ability to transcend cultural and geographic differences.

What they shared in common was a deep expertise in specific areas of Oracle technologies. The other common element was their involvement in sharing their expertise in different ways by presenting, teaching, responding to questions on forums, and writing articles.

Next to me were two ACEs who regularly interact on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) Forums providing responses to the many questions that are posted. These two ACE’s had never met in person but through their efforts on the Forums they had developed a friendship which was evident at the table. They live in time-zones that are 10 hours apart so they joked about how they can tag-team the forum, one responding while the other sleeps.

As I listened to their conversations and their various interests I came away from the evening with a greater appreciation for these individuals and the role that they play in improving the Oracle environment. Keep in mind that they still have regular jobs, so their efforts as an ACE are just one more responsibility they have to juggle. I for one appreciate their efforts and that of Oracle to recognize them. They deserve it.

Incidentally, if you’re entering Triora Group’s “Oracle Open World Get Me Some Bling!” contest, I’ve highlighted the answer to today’s question. Just click on the answer, and you’ll be taken to the questionnaire.

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These are the types of presentations that seem hot (in descending order):

1. Service Orient Architecture Integration/Fusion Middleware
2. E-Business Suite, Release 12
3. Functional Seminars (focusing on various E-Business Suite modules)
4. Hyperion
5. 11g Database
6. Enterprise Performance Management

This may change as the week progresses and Oracle continues to make new announcements.  For full-disclosure there are also sessions for BEA, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards and Siebel so it’s not just EBS….

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Oracle has introduced a new collaboration product, BeeHive, at OpenWorld.  It was the topic of the keynote address this morning (Monday).

This is another attempt by Oracle to crack into the collaboration market, which has been difficult for the previous product, called Collaboration Suite, since it was a rip and replace type of product.  Obviously organizations weren’t crazy about replacing Exchange, Active Directory and the Microsoft Applications (Outlook) with Oracle’s collaboration product.  That said, Oracle approach had some great merit by using the database as the storage repository and minimizing multiple copies of documents being sent all over the place.

With Microsoft Outlook, I receive a 5MB PowerPoint presentation.  I then forward it to five other people and now there’s 30MB of PowerPoint on the Exchange or mail server.  Oracle’s approach was to save a single copy and provide links and versioning for the presentation.  This was only one of the innovations that Oracle had, but clients were not convinced, and the Collaboration Suite remained a niche product.

Beehive, however, is a more “join ‘em” approach which provides the same sleek database background but now works happily with Outlook, Thunderbird and other email clients using plugins.  Oracle also offers improved document security, including “self-destructing” documents/attachments, and role management for devices.  It integrates both personal computers and smart phones and manages to get along with with other apps while providing a mature content management and collaborative (ie Microsoft SharePoint) environment for documents.

Check it out.  More information is at www.oracle.com/goto/beehive

Oh… did I mention it also integrates with E-Business Suite?  Interesting….

Incidentally, if you’re entering Triora Group’s “Oracle Open World Get Me Some Bling!” contest, I’ve highlighted the answer to today’s question. Just click on the answer, and you’ll be taken to the questionnaire.

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After all of the buzz in the last year and a half about Fusion Applications it’s interesting that they have disappeared off of the radar at OpenWorld 2008.  The original schedule had the first versions of Fusion Apps appearing in 2008, focusing on Customer Relationship Management capabilities.

Well, that hasn’t happened and now we are seeing literally nothing said about Fusion Applications at this huge event.

What’s up, Oracle?  (no reply…)

My guess is that that the focus is back on pushing customers to R12 instead of giving them the option to wait for the Fusion Apps.  Why this change in focus?  Here’s some additional guesses.

1. Delay problems with the development process

2. Changes in the underlying technology stack of SOA with the BEA purchase which is introducing heavy change into the Fusion Middleware areas

3. Change of focus in the Fusion Apps effort

4. The ongoing confusion about the word Fusion (is it a bird, a plane, an application?)

Those are the facts for now, Fusion Apps is making a no-show at Open World 2008.

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As noted in a previous post, the current release of EBS R12 is 12.0.5 and a future 12.0.6 is expected that will include a Financials Family Pack.  Soon after that we should expect Release 12.1.

What will R12.1 include?  In one of the sessions today at OOW 2008, a glimpse was provided.

From Oracle’s perspective R12 is stabilizing, with fewer reported bugs and issues, so the focus for 12.1 is to add more functionality.  Some of the areas mentioned in the session were the addition of new capabilities in:

• Talent Management
• Warehouse Management/Logistics
• Asset Utilization (Asset LifeCycle Management)
• Manufacturing Executing Systems (Discrete and Process Mfg)
• Supply Chain

One noted item was a new Supplier Self-Service capability that allows Suppliers to update their important information (contacts, etc.)

Another topic was the introduction of the Oracle Site Hub which has some of the characteristics of Master Data Management.  Like MDM, it consolidates information from multiple applications, provides the ability to cleanse the data and then simplifies the ability to manage and share that data, providing a consistent view across the organization.

New changes will be coming to Enterprise Manager with enhancements to the Applications Management Pack.  These include automated “hot” cloning, improved patch automation, better pro-active management, and improvements to help with customization management, and functional setup management.

In summary, Release 12.1 will include bug fixes but focus more on filling out functionality in some specialty areas.

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If you haven’t noticed, there’s a growing interest in using the former HTML DB product now known as APEX (Applications Exchange).  APEX provides a declarative way to develop web-based applications without requiring significant knowledge about Javascript or HTML.  It does require that users are comfortable with SQL, and, to take advantage of advanced features, some knowledge about PL/SQL.

APEX utilizes either the Oracle 10g or 11i database to store all of the configuration. Depending on your setup it may or may not use the Apache Server.  Under Oracle 11g, one can use the XMLDB Gateway and forgo the use of the external Web Server (Apache).

Many companies are using APEX to create departmental apps that access information in the E-Business Suite and a new book, Pro Oracle Application Express, has just been released by John Scott and Scott Spendolini that documents advanced features.

Oracle has a full-featured website that provides lots of information about APEX.  It includes the download links, tutorials, and lots of examples.  To simplify it even further, they provide a hosted website where you can jump directly into exploring the features of APEX.  Check it out at http://apex.oracle.com

I’ve experimented with APEX and find it very interesting.  At OOW there are a number of sessions about APEX that have been well-attended.  I attended one on how easy it is to add globablization features to APEX.  The session showed a simple APEX application that had been developed in English which the presenter updated to work in German and French.

Last month while I was at the NCOAUG Training Days, I dropped in on a session called “Flex Your ApEx: Implementing Oracle E-Business Suite Flexfields in Application Express”, by Shane Bentz, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. His organization had set up their APEX application to use the FLEX Field logic within the E-Business Suite.  That was very impressive and speaks to the capabilities of APEX.

Lastly, there is a process for converting older Oracle Forms applications to web forms using APEX.  I haven’t used it so I can’t vouch for its capabilities, but it is supported by Oracle.

More later on APEX…

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